Jan. 19, 2013

Box Score

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The No. 57-ranked Ohio State women’s tennis team opened its spring schedule with a 6-1 win at West Virginia Saturday afternoon in Morgantown, W.Va. Against the Mountaineers, Ohio State posted five singles wins and two doubles victories, with sophomore Kelsey Dieters, senior Kara Cecil and junior Noelle Malley all recording singles and doubles victories in the match.

"This was a great way to start our season,” Melissa Schaub, Ohio State head coach, said. “West Virginia has a tough team this year and to get a solid win on the road is always nice. We had a couple players competing in their first dual match and they both stepped up phenomenally."

Ohio State opens its home slate Wednesday with two matches inside the Varsity Tennis Center (880 West Henderson Road). The squad will host Toledo at 10 a.m. before taking on Cincinnati at 6 p.m. Admission is free to all Buckeye regular-season home matches.

Against West Virginia, Ohio State clinched the doubles point, winning on courts one and three. At the top position, Cecil and Deiters topped the Mountaineer tandem of Ikttesh Chahal and Hailey Barrett, 8-3. On court three, Malley and freshman Grâinne O’Neill, playing in her first collegiate dual match, were 8-3 winners over Vivian Tsui and Irinka Toidze.

The Buckeyes won five-of-six singles matches, including four straight-set matches, en route to the team victory. Dieters, ranked 41st, rallied after losing the first set to defeat Audrey Wooland, 3-6, 7-5, 6-2, on court one. At No. 2 Cecil was a 6-1, 7-5 winner vs. Chahal and senior Gabby Steele topped Emily Mathis, dropping just one game (6-1, 6-0), on court four. Malley defeated Vivian Tsui, 6-4, 6-2, at the No. 5 position and redshirt freshman Nicole Flower, in her first collegiate dual match, lost just two games in a 6-2, 6-0 victory over Toidze on court six.

Ohio State vs West Virginia Jan 19, 2013 at Morgantown, W.Va. (Ridgeview Racquet Club)

#57 Ohio State 6, West Virginia 1

Singles competition
1. #41 Kelsey Dieters (OSU) def. Audrey Wooland (WVU) 3-6, 7-5, 6-2
2. Kara Cecil (OSU) def. Ikttesh Chahal (WVU) 6-1, 7-5
3. Hailey Barrett (WVU) def. Fidan Manashirova (OSU) 6-4, 6-2
4. Gabby Steele (OSU) def. Emily Mathis (WVU) 6-1, 6-0
5. Noelle Malley (OSU) def. Vivian Tsui (WVU) 6-4, 6-2
6. Nicole Flower (OSU) def. Irinka Toidze (WVU) 6-2, 6-0

Doubles competition
1. Kara Cecil/Kelsey Dieters (OSU) def. Ikttesh Chahal/Hailey Barrett (WVU) 8-3
2. Emily Mathis/Audrey Wooland (WVU) def. Fidan Manashirova/Gabby Steele (OSU) 8-5
3. Noelle Malley/Grainne O'Neill (OSU) def. Vivian Tsui/Irinka Toidze (WVU) 8-3

Match Notes:
Ohio State 1-0 (0-0 Big Ten); National ranking #57
West Virginia 0-1 (0-0 Big 12)